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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27717059">disillusioned</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/evermorian/pseuds/evermorian'>evermorian</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, zelda and link look after each other because soulmatism, zelink rights!</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 16:07:37</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,552</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27717059</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/evermorian/pseuds/evermorian</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Ganon is vanquished, and the world will grow again. But for Princess Zelda, doubts and ghosts still trail her path wherever she goes, and she only knows one person who can protect her from herself. (On pause for now!)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Link/Zelda (Legend of Zelda)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>41</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. delicate</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>hello! this is my first time posting a full fic on here so please let me know what you think :) enjoy the first chapter! i hope to continue this project in the future if you like it.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <i>“The silent princess flower grows on the grassy fields and slopes that surround Hyrule Castle. A lovely flower of blue and white, it is a rare sight and was once feared to have gone extinct. They were known to be the favorite of the princess of Hyrule before the Great Calamity.</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>It is said that the flower represents hope, and seeing one in the wild is a sign of good luck. At weddings, petals from the silent princess flower are showered over the betrothed lovers, as it is said that the falling petals represent endless love. This phenomenon is a rarity in the wild, however, as silent princess flowers never grow in such abundance.”</i>
</p>
<p>(from <i>Herbs and Blossoms</i> by Genthe Hews, found in the Hyrule Castle library)</p>
<p>In the stone floor of Princess Zelda’s study, in a high tower of the mighty Hyrule Castle, a flower grew. Not just any flower, but a silent princess. Rare, beautiful, and fragile, a favorite of the princess herself. </p>
<p>It had sprouted in the dust and dirt built up between two of the floor’s stone tiles. Somehow its roots had found a place to bury themselves, and it had somehow collected enough rain and sunshine through the room’s broken windows to grow and flourish into adulthood. Still it looked as delicate as glass, trembling in the shadows of the ruined castle. </p>
<p>The flower was indeed a brave little thing for surviving so long in the tainted castle, enveloped in the sickness of Calamity Ganon. If anyone should enter the castle they would find that death lingered everywhere. Each breath a person tried to take was harder than the last, for the air felt thick enough to cut a blade through, and reeked of malice and rot and all things foul. With each step was the increasing feeling that one was being followed, by Bokoblins and other monsters that clawed and snarled at their heels. And yet, despite it all, the flower grew.</p>
<p>A long, continuous hum, paired with the sound of propellers whirring, filled the room as a Guardian Skywatcher drew near. It made a continuous loop, watching the walkway from Zelda’s bedroom to her study. If anyone crossed the bridge, the Skywatcher would be on them in an instant, and with a flash of light they would be nothing but ash. </p>
<p>Today, it seemed, that the Skywatcher had stirred up a breeze. It swept through the windows of the study and danced across the papers on the princess’s desk, tossing them up before it settled its attention on the flower. The little thing shook as the small wind rushed up against it, but held true, by some stroke of luck. Instead of being ripped out of its place and tossed across the room, it only lost a petal. Just one petal.</p>
<p>The petal stayed on the breeze as it leapt out the window with a will of its own, dancing down the castle’s jagged form only to soar across the fields beyond. The wind could move with blissful freedom- no Guardians hunted it, no monsters smelled it, nothing. The little petal danced in the breeze, as if happy to be free of the tainted castle. </p>
<p>Eventually the wind settled, stopping at the tip of a cliff, where it seemed to run out of breath and flicker out of existence. The petal gently drifted down until it settled on the grass near the cliff’s edge, and laid there, unmoving. It stayed there for several long moments until the rush of parting grass indicated the arrival of something, some living being.</p>
<p>A pause, and then that being stooped down. Fingers- from a boy’s hand, not a monster’s- gently lifted the petal to examine it. The princess’s favorite flower, a piece of it, had found its way to the very person she needed the most. </p>
<p><i>Link.</i> Inside the castle, yellow light flickered, and the flower flickered back.</p>
<p>- </p>
<p>In the same study, one month later, the flower was met with sunlight and fresh air rather than malice and shadow. A patch of sunlight caught half of the flower’s petals, and the rest of the flower seemed not to mind the shade, either. The air was clear and the sky was bright, and there was nothing a little flower could have wanted more.</p>
<p>Another shadow passed over it, and a hand reached out to brush its delicate blossom. Zelda examined the flower quietly, watching how the sunlight made it shine. It was a mystery to her how the poor thing had lasted so long with Ganon infecting the castle’s halls, but it grew before her despite it all. </p>
<p>Zelda’s knees were scraped and bloody, her dress dusty and charred at the edges. A bruise blossomed at her elbow, and her head pained her with an ache that had hardly subsided in the many hours since Ganon’s fall. Still, it brought her comfort to see the silent princess flower flourishing in the most unlikely of places. </p>
<p>She knew silent princess flowers like the back of her hand. From this one she could tell that the blossom had sprouted barely two months ago- it would have just reached adulthood when Link awoke in the Shrine of Resurrection. <i>Too perfect,</i> she thought to herself. <i>There are far too many coincidences nowadays to be normal.</i></p>
<p>Zelda rose, standing from her spot on the floor, and immediately her head was struck with a great pain as if someone had driven a sword through her skull. Her legs gave out and she stumbled, nearly fell, but then there were arms around her. Those arms held her, steadied her, protected her. She knew who it was.</p>
<p>“Princess.” Link’s voice carried an edge of concern. “You need to rest. We can investigate the castle later.” She shook her head- a gesture she instantly regretted, as it made the ache worse- but did not protest as he settled her down on the floor, propped up against him.</p>
<p>“It’s just a headache. It will go away.” Zelda looked away, but she did not shrug off Link’s support. “How has this flower survived so long? Nothing grows in the castle.”</p>
<p>“Grew.” He corrected her softly. “Ganon is gone- things will grow again.”</p>
<p>Nodding- the movement hurt less this time- Zelda stared at the silent princess until it blurred and the edge of her vision spun. She was suddenly quite aware of how exhausted she was. Of course, she would hate to admit it. She was desperate to see everything that had happened while she was locked into her battle with Ganon. It would be impossible to see all at once, she knew that, but the desire was overwhelming. She had missed so much. <i>So much.</i></p>
<p>Link’s arms around her tightened as her body gave out and her vision blacked out, falling against his chest. Later, she would see all of Hyrule for what it was. Today, she needed to rest.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. fruitcake</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>thank you all so much for the support so far! i'm very excited to continue this fic with all of you. please enjoy the second chapter!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <i>“Fruitcake is a popular sweet treat, well known as a favorite of the royal family of Hyrule. This simple yet elegant dessert of fluffy white cake, whipped frosting, and fresh slices of fruit is as energizing as it is delicious. </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>The fruitcake has many unique properties that are brought out by unique combinations of ingredients. While a new chef may just include their favorite fruits in the cake, a trained chef knows how to utilize the varying abilities of each fruit to create the most effective dessert possible. The princess of Hyrule herself enjoyed wildberries in her cake; her father preferred the strengthening qualities of mighty bananas in the dessert.”</i>
</p>
<p>(from <i>A History of Hyrulean Dining</i> by Mavi Magirus, found in the Hyrule Castle library)</p>
<p>Zelda’s eyes fluttered open to see the world turned on its side. Before her lay a courtyard, with a ruined fountain piled with rubble at its center. The area was littered with machinery- Guardians, she recognized- half destroyed and smoldering. In the golden light of the sunset they glinted faintly, their once terrifying edges and claws now dulled. </p>
<p>Shifting herself upright Zelda found that she was laying on a bedroll on a patch of dead, uneven grass. Someone’s cloak, dark blue and worn from use, was tucked over her like a blanket. Her limbs ached and seemed to scream at her as she rolled over on her stomach, but she ignored them stubbornly. </p>
<p>The hiss of something cooking and the smell of fresh meat caught Zelda’s attention. She moved herself slightly to see that Link sat several strides away, carefully turning a meat skewer over in a cooking pot. The aroma of spices and meat made her stomach rumble. </p>
<p>It hit Zelda then that she had not eaten in one hundred years. It almost made her laugh- such an impossible thing to comprehend, not eating for that long!- but she had hardly been alive those years, anyways. She hadn’t felt hunger at all there, nor thirst or sleepiness or anything else normal. Exhausted, yes. She was always exhausted when fighting Ganon. But to say that she was alive all those years felt like a stretch.</p>
<p>She had forgotten so much. She’d forgotten the smell and taste of food. The feel of sunlight and fresh air in her lungs was new to her as if she was a newborn. The feel of grass, even dead grass, between her fingers was unfamiliar. </p>
<p><i>How did I forget so much?</i> She wondered silently. <i>Is that even possible?</i></p>
<p>“What are you making?” Zelda asked. Her voice was still weak- she’d found that her vocal cords were not used to talking in a normal tone. After all, she could only whisper in Ganon’s domain, and when she wasn’t whispering, she was screaming. The princess shuddered. </p>
<p>“Princess.” Link acknowledged her presence with a swift nod, then looked back down at the meal he was so focused on. “Just some meat skewers with Goron spice. I figured you would be hungry when you awoke.” He paused momentarily, then lifted one of the skewers off the pan to cool it, then stood to hand it to her. </p>
<p>Zelda accepted the meal greedily- her stomach was turning with ravenous hunger from such a long time without food. Her mouth burned when she took a bite. Goron spice, as she knew, had a kick. But it was the best thing she’d eaten in, well, a hundred years. </p>
<p>Link was watching her curiously, and she flushed. <i>Manners, Zelda, you idiot!</i> He seemed neither insulted nor amused, however, as she had expected. Instead the look on his face suggested that he was making sure she ate enough. <i>He hasn’t changed a wink, then.</i> He was still the same patient, loyal guard she had known years earlier. </p>
<p>Still, there was a change in him. One hundred years ago, Link had hardly spoken a word to her- he didn’t speak to anyone, for that matter. His pact of silence was so well-kept that whenever he said something, it always threw Zelda off, like a rock had spoken rather than a boy. He could be rather stoney, sometimes. </p>
<p>But ever since his return, Link had been much more vocal. Perhaps it was because he had forgotten whatever pact of silence he’d made prior to Ganon’s return. So much of him was the same, but Zelda had never heard him speak so much in one sitting. It was like the amnesia brought on by the Shrine of Resurrection had broken through his walls and exposed the real Link, the one who had been there all along. Still honorable, still patient and loyal, but funnier, happier, more alive. </p>
<p>Link settled down to eat his own skewer, and for a while they sat in silence. If they talked, what would they talk about. The knight was only a few paces away, but Zelda felt as though worlds stood between them. He was so different. He hardly even remembered her. And yet…</p>
<p>And yet, he had shouldered looking after her without hesitation. She did not ask for him to protect her, only to save her from Ganon, but it had only been a few hours and he was already keeping one eye on her at all times. Zelda was not sure if it made her feel safe or frustrated. Safe, mostly. She had learned to not take safety for granted. </p>
<p>In that moment, as the sun sank below the trees and Link sat across from her, Zelda felt everything the way it really was. She was not a powerful being or a princess, but a wounded, tired, lost teenage girl. After everything she’d been through, that was what she forgot the most. She was barely seventeen when the Calamity hit. Shouldn’t she be off courting cute guards and studying in the library? Instead she was lying in a ruined courtyard of a crumbling castle, Calamity Ganon destroyed at her own hands. </p>
<p>“Where do we go from here?” The question escaped Zelda before she could answer it herself, and Link turned his gaze onto her. </p>
<p>Link was quiet for a few moments before answering. “We can explore the castle and eliminate any remaining monsters. Then we won’t have to sleep on the ground out here. People will probably come looking to see what happened. But we’ll solve their problems when we get there.” Again he had spoken so much that it startled her. She would have to get used to that.</p>
<p>“I have something else for you.” Link continued after a moment’s pause. “I made this. I heard it was your favorite.” From behind him, he lifted a small wooden plate with a little cake sitting on it. She recognized it immediately- fruitcake. <i>My favorite.</i> Zelda did not know if he remembered it or simply heard it from someone else, but the gesture made her tear up, and then-</p>
<p>“Princess, are you alright?” Link moved to her side in a flash as tears dripped down her face. Zelda choked on her breath, already hating herself for breaking down. <i>He was being kind, you fool! Why are you crying over a bit of cake?</i> But she knew she was crying for more than just cake, more than just his kindness. </p>
<p>“It’s not-” Zelda managed, her voice heavy with emotion. “The cake is lovely. I just- Everything is so-” She did not need to continue. Something about the look in Link’s eyes told her that he understood just fine. </p>
<p>With gentle hands Link helped her sit up, as she struggled to get a hold on her breathing and face him. Her cheeks were wet and flushed, and she felt like an idiot, but he did not look at her that way. He was calm, painfully calm. She wondered if he felt anything at all similar, or if she was just weak and broken in too many ways to count. </p>
<p>“I’m sorry. I should get a hold on myself. I’m such a fool.” Zelda mumbled, using the back of her hand to brush off the tears that dripped down her cheeks like a river, never stopping. Link shook his head.</p>
<p>“Princess, you have spent a hundred years fighting the most powerful evil in existence, <i>all alone,</i> despite losing everyone and not knowing if you would survive. If you need to cry, you have every right to. Anyone who says otherwise is the fool, not you.” His voice was firm and insistent, yet empathetic. <i>So he did truly understand, then.</i></p>
<p>Link had done nothing but treat Zelda kindly since she’d broken from Ganon’s malice, and she repaid him selfishly, sobbing all over him like a toddler with bad dreams. She did not want him to think of her as weak, but she felt weakness in her bones. The princess was tired, and anxious, and scared, and she hated it. Shouldn’t she be rejoicing? </p>
<p>“Thank you, Link. Really. You-” Zelda caught herself before she cried again. “Thank you for looking after me, as I somehow cannot seem to look after myself.” There. It was true, at least in her own mind.</p>
<p>“It’s no trouble for me.” Link replied. There was something restrained about his voice, as if there was an emotion he was not expressing, but he offered a small smile. “You should try the cake. It should help.”</p>
<p>As the sky faded into a dark blue, Zelda ate, and Link watched her as if she might fall apart at any moment. And if the princess was being honest with herself, he was right to think so.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. bruises</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <i>”Journal-keeping is a common hobby in Hyrule. It was popularized during the rise of the Great Calamity, when it was said that a fisherman in Lurelin could get as much excitement in a single morning as a royal guard. Many people kept journals to document the dangers and noteworthy happenings in Hyrule at the time, and those that have been unearthed in places like the towns outside Hyrule Castle tell a vivid story of the Calamity’s rise and influence in the land.”</i>
</p><p>(from <i>A Short History of the Calamity </i> by Alys Rinch, at the Outskirt Stable)</p><p>Zelda winced at the sharp stab of pain that raced up her arm when she touched her bruised elbow. Her whole body was only just beginning to cease its aching, and her remaining injuries still pained her. Link had gently treated her scraped knees- he worked masterfully with a set of herbs, a skill he had no doubt learned from dealing with his own injuries- but the bruise, he had explained, would need to heal on its own. He had warned her not to touch it, but Zelda’s curiosity had gotten the better of her. As always.</p><p>She stood in her old bedroom, rubbing her arms against the morning chill. Link had scouted out the room for her so that she would have someplace to change out of the singed white dress she wore and into cleaner clothes. The outfit he provided was folded at her feet: a clean red tunic lined with white, beige traveller’s pants, and a heavy blue cloak with sleeves she could tuck her bruised arms into. </p><p>The room had certainly seen better days. Zelda’s bed was destroyed, its canopy having crashed down onto the mattress below. Once there had been a stairway on the left side of the room, but now it had collapsed, the wall beside it blown open in a hole about Zelda’s size that let the crisp morning wind rush in all around her. Link had attempted to cover the hole with an old flag, but the sturdy red fabric could not protect her from the weather the way a stone wall would have. </p><p>Carefully Zelda pulled off the white dress as she examined her room. It had once been a safe place for her, where she could cry into her covers when she felt sad, but now it was open and exposed to the world. Yet another thing Ganon had stolen from her in those one hundred years. She sighed- it would not do her well to sit around and dwell on what she had lost. Sooner or later, something would come to the castle. People or monsters, she did not know which, but her top priority would be either one.</p><p>Link was outside the door waiting when Zelda finished dressing, hands clasped behind his back. Turning to face her, he spoke, loosening his posture. </p><p>“We can’t be sure, but the Sheikah sensor doesn’t pick up on any monster presence left in the castle.” Link held up the glowing Sheikah Slate. “No malice left, either.” This time he tucked away the slate and pulled the Master Sword out from behind his shoulder. It was dull in the low light of the hall. “If there were malice nearby, it would be glowing brighter than a luminous ore deposit.”</p><p>Zelda watched as he slid the sword back into its scabbard. “I would still like to see the castle.” Link seemed to contemplate her words for a moment, and then gave a swift nod as she continued. “The dining hall is not too far from here. We can start there. Perhaps we can have some breakfast as well.” It was still early, and neither of them had eaten. </p><p>To her surprise, Link let Zelda lead the way. She wasn’t sure what she expected- with how honorable he was acting around her, she’d almost anticipated that he would insist on guiding her through the castle as well- but he fell back a few paces behind her. Just like he used to. She wondered if he remembered that mannerism, and decided to continue it, or if it was just instinct for him. The latter was not out of the picture. <i>Everything comes instinctually to him.</i></p><p>The halls of Hyrule Castle were unfamiliar and familiar all at once. Zelda could still easily follow the castle’s interior, but it was not the vibrant place she once knew. Once, the halls had been lined with guards and servants, sunlight streaming through the long windows and colorful Hyrulean flags hanging from every wall. Now the hall she walked through was cold and devoid of life, littered with rubble and dulled to a shadowy whisper of what it once used to be. The flags that hung from the wall were shredded, and long claw marks scorched at the walls- she shuddered considering what might have caused such a thing. </p><p>“A Fire Lynel, most likely.” Link said softly, and Zelda turned her head to look back at him for a moment as they walked. “I’ve heard the stories. No one has seen a Fire Lynel since the Calamity struck, but it was rumored that one was loose in the castle on the exact day of the Calamity’s resurrection.” </p><p>Zelda remembered the Lynels she’d seen before her hundred year battle. They were brutish, sadistic, intelligent monsters. Hunters, more like it. They had muscled arms like tree trunks that could crush a grown man with ease, the lower body of a huge and powerful horse, and vicious faces buried in mighty manes. Facing a Lynel was hard enough, so when some were infused with elemental powers during the Calamity, it was the stuff of nightmares. Parents used Lynels as ways of scaring their children away from trouble. Zelda herself remembered several nights in which sleep eluded her as images of those beasts filled her young mind.</p><p>“It must have been horrible, then. That monster, in here…” Zelda could not bring herself to finish the story. She shuddered again. </p><p>“Whatever happened, it’s long gone now.” Link reassured her. Of course, he didn’t remember anything, so of course he did not remember those beasts, rippling with flames that covered their deadly crushers and piercing spears…</p><p>“Princess.” Link’s voice stopped Zelda- she turned to see that she had almost passed the dining hall completely. Blushing shamefully, she followed her companion into the abandoned room.</p><p>The dining hall had once been a lively, airy place bustling with servants and royal guards. Zelda recalled spending hundreds of mornings there. Now, like everywhere else in the castle, it was ruined, marred with cuts and claw marks from battle and scorched on every curtain and wall. </p><p>Still, the tables were covered in food. Zelda could not tell how old it was- it looked as good as new to her, but she could not be sure, since the Calamity had a way of changing and manipulating things- but Link did not waste any time in crossing the room to the nearest pile of food. The Sheikah Slate left his hip in one swift movement, and he touched something on the screen, then held the slate above a hearty durian. The fruit glowed blue, and in a flash vanished, the Sheikah Slate making a quick chime in response.</p><p>“What was that?” Zelda asked, wandering up to Link’s side to peer over his shoulder. He glanced at her, then directed his attention back at the slate. </p><p>“The slate can store physical objects.” Link explained. “I’m not sure how it works, but I can scan an object and then release it from the slate later. It’s useful, actually. I can carry more than twenty swords at once.” Link blushed then- actually blushed! Was he embarrassed? The spots of color in his cheeks dissipated within moments, though. </p><p>“That’s fascinating. Can I-” Zelda did not need to finish, as Link was already passing her the slate. Amazed, she sat down on the nearest bench to investigate the ancient technology while Link wandered down the room, seemingly scouting for any threats. </p><p>They spent a while in the dining hall. Link seemed perfectly satisfied to investigate the room, while Zelda tapped through the Sheikah Slate with the fascination of a young child. She knew that the ancient technology they’d unearthed was powerful, enough so to teleport a small group of people across Hyrule, but to store items as well? In order to focus on her duties, Zelda had once pushed aside any desire to explore the ancient equipment, but now… </p><p>Breakfast was simple, just some plain crepes Link cooked up using an old cooking pot. It fascinated Zelda, his skill at cooking. She’d known the knight to be many things: a talented fighter, among other attributes. But a chef? It was a part of him she’d never expected to see. It proved to her that there was a living boy beneath that stone exterior. </p><p>“We should visit the library next.” Zelda eventually offered, and Link, always seeming to follow her lead, agreed. She hoped that the books had survived the Calamity. They were always precious to her as a child. </p><p>The journey to the library was uneventful, thankfully. It did not appear that the Fire Lynel had made it that far into the castle. The hallways here were darker and covered with rubble- Link helped Zelda cross some particularly large piles, assistance that she blushed over but did not refuse. His hands were warm, compared to her own, which felt dead and cold as ice. Zelda rubbed them together and hoped Link would not notice the chill.</p><p>In the library, Zelda couldn’t help but gasp. Entire chunks of one wall had been blown open, exposing the pale sky outside and letting wind rush through the chamber. The books, thank Hylia, looked intact, save for a few that had been broken and clawed at by monsters. A Guardian’s dark, unmoving form lay slumped on one end of the room. Link crossed over to it, meaning to inspect the machine, while Zelda carefully made her way down the large stairway near the library’s entrance. </p><p>Zelda spared herself a few minutes to flip through the library’s somehow untouched collection. Her vision caught on the pages of a book that she opened. Just as eating was unfamiliar to her, reading was as well. She was trying to awaken an old skill that had been buried for too long- while some words were clear to her, longer ones blurred and took several long moments to decipher. Slowly but surely she forced herself to read the whole page, with some difficulty. <i>Oh Hylia, what has happened to me?</i></p><p>Setting the book down, Zelda looked back at the stairway she had descended down, and her breath caught. A metal shelf covered the spot where she remembered a door. The door that led to the king’s study, her father’s room for work and research. She had seldom been allowed in. Even looking at it years later, she still felt like a little girl, staring at the room she could never enter. <i>But there’s nothing stopping you now.</i></p><p>“Link,” Zelda called, “could you move this shelf?” As the knight descended the stairs wordlessly and stepped up to the heavy piece of metal, she half expected him to lift it off the ground himself- she would not be surprised if he was that strong- but instead he tapped at the screen of the Sheikah Slate and caused a yellow beam to shoot out and land on the shelf. He twisted the slate and pulled, and the shelf moved forward, pulled by an unseen force. Magnesis. She remembered using it, long ago. </p><p>Link did not ask why Zelda had insisted on the shelf being moved, nor did he question how quickly she ran into the small study. He only stood at the door, patient and quiet, as the princess began to investigate the little room.</p><p>It was desolate, of course, like everywhere else in the castle, but Zelda was most drawn to the wide, dark wood desk on the left side of the room. On it, a yellow-paged journal lay open. Its pages were not stained like the other open books Zelda had found. She reached over and slowly flipped through the pages. Her father’s writing. </p><p>She started with the first entry:</p><p>
  <i>Today, as the sun rose and a new day was born, my daughter, too, joined this sweet world. In keeping with the traditions of the royal family, I have decided to name her… Zelda. I am not a man accustomed to frivolous musings, but now seems as good a time as any to begin my royal memorandum.</i>
</p><p>That did not surprise her, the story behind her naming. Zelda knew already that the name was popular in royal tradition. It was not her mother’s name- her mother was Thalea- but her grandmother had been named Zelda, and many other women in the royal family before that. Growing up, the princess had always told herself that she would name her child whatever she wanted. Besides, having more than one woman with the same name was too complicated for her to imagine. </p><p>Entry after entry Zelda read. Her father spoke of the Calamity, and then of her mother’s passing. Rhoam wrote that Zelda never cried during the mourning period for the queen. To tell the truth, Zelda herself had been too scared to cry. She was scared that people would call her a weak princess. It was a foolish thing for a six year old to believe, but even then she had been told that her duty was most important of all. </p><p>The last line of the journal. <i>For now, I sit anxiously, more a father than a king in this moment. I sit and await my daughter's return.</i> He had been so harsh with her at times that she wondered if he even cared for her. Rhoam had cared for her, of course. Zelda only wished he would have said it while he was still alive. </p><p><i>Still alive.</i> Two words, and they drove straight into her heart. Her father was not still alive. Neither were the Champions. King Rhoam had had every right to be harsh with her, then, the useless princess. He must have known all along that Zelda would fail and that she would be too late. It made her angry with herself. </p><p>“Princess.” Link’s voice came to her. Evidently he had taken note of the way she stepped back from the journal, hands beginning to shake.</p><p>“I’m fine.” Zelda lied, making for the exit. <i>Stupid! Can you make it one day without being stupid?</i> “We should leave.”</p><p>Link stopped her gently at the door. “Princess, you should-”</p><p>“I am not a princess!” Zelda cried suddenly, her voice no longer level. Link stared at her, his expression unreadable, closed off. Guilt rose in her chest. “I’m sorry, Link. But-” She managed a deep breath, steadying herself.</p><p>“I am not a princess. I don’t want to be one. And I am not a child either. I’m sick of people patronizing me and then expecting me to live up to every duty. I’m not a child, and I’m not a princess. I’m just Zelda. I just want to be Zelda. Please.” Her voice wavered- she looked at Link carefully, wondering what he could be thinking of her. </p><p>Link stayed silent for several long moments, then spoke. “You’re not a child, <i>Zelda.</i>” He emphasized the word as if to show that he knew it was her true name. “If you don’t want to be a princess, you don’t have to be one either.”</p><p>Zelda shook her head. “It’s not that simple. I was being foolish. I can’t just stop being a princess.” </p><p>Link opened his mouth to speak, but a cry of “Hello! Is anyone there?” cut him off from speaking. In a flash he was running up the stairs, Zelda trailing behind as quickly as possible. He hoisted himself up onto a table to see out one of the smashed walls. Zelda followed suit, and blinked at what she saw. </p><p>Below, in the courtyards outside the castle, two lean figures stood, in bright clothes. They were citizens of Hyrule, from what Zelda could tell- she knew at least that they were not monsters. “So there still are people near the castle.” They must have lived nearby, to have made the journey so quickly after the Calamity. </p><p>Link glanced at her, and nodded. “We should speak with them, and let them know that the Calamity is defeated.” The knight noticed Zelda’s frown, and touched her shoulder lightly. “There will be celebrations. You’ll feel better soon enough.” </p><p>Zelda offered a faint smile, but it was not an honest one. She did not remember what it was like to laugh or dance. With the empty cold that filled her body, she wondered if she would ever be able to do either again.</p>
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